Close Calls
by AnicomicQueen
Summary: A young Jason wakes up under water and has to act quickly in order to save Batman. (Repost from AO3).


A/N: Repost from AO3. Written immediately after the release of the 5-page preview for RHATO issue 25 in preparation for the disappointment that I knew was bound to follow. I'm a sap and I will not apologize!

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" _-aster Robin!"_

Jason slowly started to regain consciousness. He could hear Alfred's voice coming through in spurts. Loud spurts. Ow.

" _I-nsist you_ _ **must**_ _wake up!"_

Jason opened his eyes and just barely held back the instinct to gasp after quickly realizing he was _under water_. That was…less than ideal.

He racked his brain trying to figure out how he'd ended up in the doggam harbor. The last thing he remembered was being in the Batmobile. No. Wait. He was pushed. Batman pushed him out as the Batmobile had started careening out of control. So where was….

Shit. He wasn't gonna have a lot of time. He needed to move now, while he still had air.

Time to test all the training Bruce had put him through in the aquadunker.

" _Your bio-readings indicate you're conscious."_

Jason dove deeper, thankful for what little light was refracting through the waves from the docks. He could see the outline of the Batmobile just up ahead. He suppressed his urge to increase speed. A steady pace was more efficient than a sprint.

" _Respiratory support was damaged in the crash. You need to get to the surface,"_ Alfred urged, trying and failing to keep the panic from his voice. " _I'm eight minutes out. I repeat: You need to ascend_ _ **NOW**_ _!"_

Jason heard him, but he wasn't listening. He couldn't listen. So, he swam through the air bubbles coming from the crushed metal death trap, following them down.

" _Your readings...you're descending?"_

Of course he was descending. He _had_ to get Batman out. It was his job. He was Robin. This was why he existed. To get Batman out of these kind of situations. Well, maybe not this particular situation. But still. He had to try. Or else why was he even here?

He closed in on what he hoped was the driver's side. He hadn't taken the time to check.

" _Master Robin, you can't do this. You're only human."_

Jason pulled a batarang from his left side pouch and quickly got to work on the safety straps.

" _You are no good to Batman if you're dead."_

No shit. But he was no use to Batman if Batman was dead either. He sliced the last strap and started to maneuver his mentor out of the car. The man was heavy even underwater. The muscle combined with the weight of the suit was doing nothing to help with buoyancy. Jason cursed his size as he planted his feet on the outside of the frame and tugged. His lung were starting to protest as he got Batman out. He didn't have a lot of oxygen left before his body would betray him.

" _Master Robin?"_

Jason closed his eyes and kicked off of the ocean floor. He kept a tight grip on Batman, curling his arms under the man's armpits. He flutter kicked his feet, strong but controlled kicks. As he got closer to the surface, his chest started to spasm and he had to fight to not breathe in a lung full of salt water. His kicks became more frantic, but he could see the dock. It was inches away now.

" _Oh my."_

Jason's head broke the surface with a heaving gasp. His lungs hurt from the sudden onslaught of air and rain that invaded them. He coughed and sputtered, trying to get his breathing under control against the bit of water he'd accidentally inhaled in his frenzy. His muscles screamed, angry from the prior oxygen deprivation as freshly filled blood was circulated back to them. He towed Batman with him to the dock and grabbed onto the metal bars. Thank God, there was something to grab onto. Jason could feel his muscles were already getting weak from the maltreatment.

" _Master Bruce is not breathing. You need to-"_

"With all due respect, Alfred," Jason forced out, grunting as his tugged with all his might to get Batman out of the water and to the safety of the dock, "Shut the hell up."

He quickly dragged Batman away from the ledge, making sure he was flat on his back before he centered himself over the man's rib cage. Shit shit shit. His heart was pounding a million beats a minute. He took a steadying breath as he interlocked shaking fingers and started performing chest compressions. Dammit. Dammit. "C'mon!" He was going too fast. He could feel it. He should have been going at the speed of _Stayin' Alive_ or _Another One Bites the Dust_. This felt more like _Under Pressure_. Which was ironic. If he did this wrong Bruce was gonna die. He was starting to panic.

Stop it! He had to reign it in. "C'mon," he shouted, trying to motivate himself. He was trained in CPR. He _knew_ how to do this. He had to focus. He slowed up towards the end of the thirty counts and prepared to administer rescue breaths. He didn't care what that lady at the Red Cross had said about a barrier. This was life or death. And Bruce was the closest thing to a dad he was ever going to have. He tilted the chin and got a tight grip on the nostrils before giving Bruce two rescue breaths. He watched Bruce's chest expand for both and started chest compressions again.

He went through three rounds with no luck. In his fatigue and frustration he raised both his fists above his head and slammed them down on Batman's chest. "DAMMIT, BRUCE!"

The man coughed, _finally_. Batman flopped over on his side, expelling water and bile onto the rain drenched dock.

Jason exhaled and shakily sat his weight back on his ankles. Laughter bubbled up from his chest. It started slow and quickly turned into an almost manic laughter. "Thought you could get rid of me _that_ easy, huh? Ha!" He shouted to the sky. A weight was lifted off his shoulders, though they continued to shake. Relief washed over him in waves and the crazed smile he'd sported just moments before started to fade. The corners of his mouth twitched downwards, and his bottom lip trembled before he dropped his face into both hands and sobbed.

All the stress had caught up with him. He could have died. _Bruce_ almost died. It all happened so fast. And they'd been under the freaking water! He could have drowned! He'd only learned how to swim two years ago! What was he thinking?! Oh! That's right! He didn't think about it! He had just acted! His body just moved!

"Robin."

God! Bruce had stopped _breathing!_

" _Robin_." Jason tensed when gauntleted hands settled on his shoulders. One of the hands ran through his hair.

He didn't know why, but he swatted the hand away. He was mad at Batman! He was mad at Bruce! He wasn't supposed to almost die! Jason needed him!

Both hands resettled on his shoulders in an attempt to ground the young hero. "It's okay. Calm down, Robin."

Jason's chest heaved between sobs. He couldn't stop crying. Everytime he tried to get it under control, Alfred's words echoed in his ears. " _Master Bruce is not breathing._ " His heart felt like it was being crushed.

"Calm down, Robin. Look at me." Batman shook Jason and firmly grasped the sides of his son's face, forcing him to look at him. The sudden movement shocked the thirteen year old out of his near panic attack. His breath caught in his throat and he was able to briefly sober up at the command. "Look at me." Jason stared into the white lenses and swallowed. "I'm okay." Bruce was okay. "We're okay." Bruce was okay. "You saved me."

Robin nodded. He took a shuddering breath and bit his lip. He felt tears gathering behind the domino again, ready for a round two. He bowed his head in shame as his shoulders started to quake again. He heard Batman sigh heavily before strong arms pulled him into a warm embrace. If anyone was around, he would have been embarrassed to be sitting in his father's lap. But right now, he needed this closeness and he clung to any material he could get his hands on.

Bruce just sat and hugged Jason. He rubbed a hand up and down the teen's arm as tears leaked out from behind the domino mask. Cries mixed with small gasps and whimpers. It tugged at the billionaire's heart strings, forcing him to hold on tighter. There wasn't much he could say that would help. He wasn't much of a talker to begin with. And Jason would run out of energy soon enough.

The squelching skid of tires and the slamming of a car door signified the arrival of Alfred. Bruce could hear hurried footsteps splashing through puddles. The sound changed to echoes as Oxfords slammed against the wood of the dock.

"Sir!" Alfred stopped near them and knelt down next to his two charges. "Are you alright, sir?"

Batman looked up at him and gave a quick nod. "A few bruised ribs. A minor headache. But I'm alright."

"And Master Robin?"

Bruce looked down at the boy. The crying had dwindled to sniffled and he was slumped against the man's chest. "He's exhausted. Physically and emotionally. But he's going to be okay." He brushed the boy's wet bangs back. "He did so well," he whispered fondly.

"He did indeed. I've never been more happy to be blatantly ignored," Alfred agreed. "We really should be going now, sir. You'll both be lucky if neither of you catches cold from tonight's festivities."

"Right." Batman groaned as he stood up, adjusting his hold on the spent teen. As much as Bruce's ribs protested carrying him, his paternal instincts insisted. Jason had earned this break and then some.

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A/N: Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it, leave a comment! Or don't! I had fun regardless and I was still disappointed in issue 25 (except for Roy). Happy fic finding!


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